Fluid compressing engine



Feb 18 1941 w. E'RENICK FLUID oMPREs'sme ENGINE Filed'Juiy 20, i939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l'mnentof WENDELL E- RENICK (Ittomeg w. E. RENICK FLUID COMPRESSING ENGINE Feb. 18, 1941.,

Filed July 20, 19:59

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 3nnentor WENDELL E. RENICK (Ittomeg Patente d Feb. 18, 1941 I FLUID COMPRESSING ENGINE Wendell E. Renick, Jackson Township, fickaway County, Ohio Application July 20, 1939, Serial No. 285,505

- Claims. (01. 230-56) This invention relates to mechanism for compressing and storing in compressed condition fluids especially air or other gases for use in'movingl materials or operating devices or bodies re- 5 quiring power.

.An object. of the invention is to provide an improved and automatic orself regulating mechanism oi slmple construction in which a motor and pump or compressor are combined and wherebythe force and energy of internal combustion is converted into power for. subsequent utilization, as for example, operating pressure for tools, mechanism, or materials.

v A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for starting the operation of the mechanism and controlling the degree of pressure created. I Other objects of the invention will appear from the disclosure herein. I

- In the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment of the invention.

Figure l is a view in side-elevation of the machine with a small portion of one of the fuel supplying pipes slightly out off.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the right hand end of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is principally a vertical longitudinal section on the lineIII-III Fig. 2'. Fig. 4 is a detail view partly in section on the line IVIV Fig. 5 and partly in full, illustrating I the automatically regulated rotary motor mecha- I 'nism for starting and maintaining the minimum of desired pressure for the storage.

Fig.5 is a section on the horizontal line V Fig. I

4 illustrating therotary 'motormechanism and some of its ducts and the socket of the motor locking pin or bolt. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the rotary 4o starter and distributing valve on the horizontal line VI Fig. 4 with parts omitted. or

Fig.- 7 is a diagrammatic view with parts in section to better illustrate the scheme of piping. In the views I0 designates'the main shell which includes a-cooling water jacket within which shell are formed a middle cylinder II and at each of the opposite ends thereof two, identical smaller spectively all said cylinders being coaxial. Suitably fitted and reciprocable in said cylinders, as

one floating structure, are respectively the mid dle piston I4 and the Staged pistons I5 and I6 and Iii and I6, fitted-closely with packing rings as indicated on the cylinders. The compressing 5s surfaces of the pistons I5 'and I6 and I5 and I sion and constitutes the force for driving the, we floating piston structure back and forth. staged cylinders I2 and I3 and I2 and I3 re-,.

It are best as shown of equal area to secure uniformity of action in both directions of the reciprocation of the piston structure;

The character I! designates a pressure storage tank or reservoir which is communicatingly con- 5 nected by means' of pipes I8 with the middle cylinder near its ends, said pipes containin spring actuated valves I9 that open toward the storage tank to permit air compressed by the reciprocations of the middle piston It to feed 1 into. said storage tank. In. the opposite wall of the middle cylinder are spring actuated valves 20 that open inward to permit the sucking of air into the middle cylinder at one side of the middle piston while the said piston is compressing 15 air at the opposite side'thereof and forcing it into the storage tank.

2| designates an air carburetor of ordinary construction having a movable butterfly valve ,or other suitable means provided withan external manually operated control means 22 with a pointer in connectionv with a scale to regulate and. cut off the supply of fuel mixed with air to its compressing cylinders I2 and I2. The mixture of fuel and air is to be preliminarily compressed and for this purpose pipes 28 and- 23 alternately conduct the fuel mixture from the carburetor to the ends of the cylinders I2 and I2 said pipes being provided with spring. actuated inwardly opening valves 24 and 24 so' that the piston stages I5 and I5 alternately suck'in the fuel mixture at one stroke while compressing the a fuel mixture sucked in at the next preceding stroke. The fuel mixture while thus being compressed in thecylinders I2 and I'l is alternately fed through pipes 25 and 2.") containing out-.

wardly opening check valves Ill and I2 where they are connected with cylinders said pipes alternately discharging the compressed mixture into cylinders l3 and I3. The cylinders I3 and I3 have outwardly closing'check valves I3 and lit. The fuel mixture is heavily compressed in the said cylinders I3 and I3 and is fired and exploded by the heat generated by such compresobvious that if the explosive fuel mixture be al- 1 ternately andregularly fed to the cylinders I3 Y and I3' the floating piston structure will be shot coincides with ducts u and 0 there is formed a' back and forth with the air compressing or pumping eifect in the cylinder II. The storage tank is shown in Figi 1 as provided with a cock l'l for utilizing the pressure developed. 7

The means for starting the operation of the mechanism and maintaining the desired pressure in the storage tank includes a suitable housing a aflixed to the shell III of the engine said housing being provided with ducts b and I) (see Figs. 4 and 6) communicating with the middle cylinder I l at opposite sides of the zone of travel of the middle piston l4 therein. The said housing a is provided with an air or fluid pressure motor composed of two interengaging gear wheels c and c', of equal diameter and tooth number, the

latter, 0', having coaxially and suitably connected with its inner face for rotation therewith a tapered plugor valve d. The said valve 11 is provided with annular grooves or ducts e and f, and between said annular ducts with six longitudinal ducts, three of which, designated a communicate only with the annular duct e, while the other three of which, it, communicate only with the annular duct or groove f. The said longitudinal ducts g and h are alternately and equally spaced annularly degrees apart on the valve. The annular duct or groove e communicates with an intake pressure port i in the housing said port taking pressure from the storage tank It, and the annular duct or groove 1 communicates with an exhaust port f in the housing to the atmosphere.

Installed or formed in the housing a is a cylindrical chamber (made up of several sections) having a closed outer end and containing suitable transverse partitions'l and m and two spring diaphragms n and o carrying afllxed thereto the motor locking pin a: to engage socket x in the motor wheel c. The diaphragms n and 0 respond to pressures as hereinafter set forth. The middle chamber is is connected by a duct q with the pressure supply port i, and the two end chambers r and s are connected by ducts t andu the latter functioning with a duct or passage v shown in broken lines Fig; 4 in the side of a tooth of the fluid motor wheel 0 so that when said groove 22 discharging passage from the pressure tank. Pressure to operate the motor is controlled by the spring actuated valve w secured to the motor locking pin a: and having therebelow a spring 1:

resting on a screw threaded plug 1/ said plug being adjustable by means of a hand wheel z to vary the resistance of spring :c The partition I has an opening formed witha valve seat for the valve w and said opening can be closed either by the hand wheel or by pressure in chamber In. The chamber shes a slow pin leak at s to exhaust residual pressure in said chamber 3.

In operation of the engine the pressure ducts of the starter are constantly subject to pressure in the storage tank through the port 1 and the valve channel e. The exhaust ducts n have constant communication with the atmosphere through the valve channel I and outlet f. The passages at b, b' in the housing take pressure from the storage tank.

It is desirable that the pressure generated by the engine shall by its own action result in a subv designated d.

spring a therebelow the resilience of which last is regulated by said actuated hand screw. The pressure duct 11 and cylinder is permit pressure from the storage tank duct 12 to thrust against diaphragm n which is opposed by spring n. The 5 force of the spring 11. against diaphragm n is adjusted by compensating spring 1: with hand wheel 2:. Therefore it will be noted that when pressure in cylinder it fails to overpower spring 11. that spring will thrust diaphragm n outward 10 causing the lock pin :0 to open valve w and rev move the gear motor lock pin :0 from its seat. When the seat of valve w is thus opened the possage t conducts pressure to the rotary gear motor at intake c causing the gears of the motor to rotate in opposite directions as indicated by ar rows the pressure exhausting through port 0 The passage channel 22 is properly located or timed in relation to the valve it so that one revolution of the passage channel 1) permits diversion of pressure in channel t and passage 11. to cylinder 3 through passage u to cause the diaphragm o supplemented by pressure on diaphragm n to thrust inward the lock pin :2 and close valve w. At this point it will be noted that the relationship of the'motor gears and the valve d is such that when the motor pin lock seat a." is at a'point just after the passage of the channel v and has left passage u the lock pin is thrust into said seat :1." by reason of the inward pressure on diaphragms o and n. The storage pressure in its tank is thus cut off from the motor by reason of the closing of valve w. The storage pressure can therefore be varied and regulated by changing the pressure of spring :r by adjusting hand wheel z. Fig. 6 shows th valves locked position.

When the pressure in the tank drops to less than permitted by the tension of spring n diaphragm n is pushed outward by the action of spring n thereby releasing lock pin a: from its seat .12 and thus automatically causing the starting of the motor with the pressure passing through valve seat to into passage t. The means for starting the engine need not contain the means for automatic control but can consist of the housing with a hand operated valve like that The operation of the engine can be stopped at any time by cutting off the fuel.

By obvious change of the inlet and outlet valves of the cylinder H the middle piston I devices injects the fuel in the raw form into the compressed 'air. In my invention the explosive mixture of fuel and air are in the form of a gas or vapor at the time of the compression. In my invention I do not time the explosion but time the supply of the explosive mixture; Any vaporizable combustible can be used such as commonly known as ordinary furnace oil or fuel oil.

Counting the two sides of the middle piston as distinct pistons the opposite'sides. of the combined pistons can be termed as three stages.

Generally the forms, number, proportions and locations of the parts can be changed within the 7s skill and Judgment of the engineer without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed.

What Iclaim is:

1. In a fluid compressing engine of the kind described having a storage tank for the compressed fluid, a starter means communicatingly connected with the pressure-of said tank, said starter -means means including a housing having a rotary fluid pressure .motor actuated by the pressure of the tank :and a distributing valve actuatable by said motor, and means ,in said housing actuated by an excess of a predetermined v pressure 'in said. tank for releasing such excess of pressure and arresting the operation ofsaid motor.

2. A fluid com 'resslng engine including a substantially integral piston structure composed of a middle fluid pumping piston having extended symmetrically from each of the opposite faces thereof substantially identical two staged pistons of smaller diameters than that ofthesaid middle piston, a suitably staged cylinder structure for receiving and inclosing the several parts of said piston structure and permitting axial reciprocation of the latter as a unit therein, said cylinder structure-provided with suitable ports and valves therefor; and conducting means whereby fuel is supplied alternately to the flrst of said staged cylinders; and conducting means whereby the second of said staged cylinders are alternately charged with said fuel for compression.

3. A fluid compressing engine including a substantially integral piston structure composed of a middle fluid pumping piston having extended symmetrically from each '01 the opposite faces thereof substantially identical. two sta ed pistons of smaller diameters thanthat of the said middle piston, a suitably staged cylinder structure for receiving and incloslng the several parts of said piston-structure and permitting axial reciprocation ofpthe latter as aunit therein, said cylinder structure provided with suitable ports and valves therefor and conducting means'whereby fuel is supplied alternately to the first of said staged cylinders, and conducting means whereby the.

receiving and inclosing the several 7 piston structure and permitting axi reciprocation of the latter as a unit therein, said cylinder charged with said fuel for flring compression, an

fluid pressure reservoir fed by said middle putnning piston, and a starter means actuated bythe pressure of said reservoir-"for automatically Sui plying fluid pressure to the opposite sides of said 5 middle piston. g 4. A fluid compressing engine including a substantially integral. piston structure composed of a middle fluidpumping piston having ext ended symmetrically from each of the opposite faces thereof substantially identical two staged pistons of less diameter than that of the saidmiddle piston-a suitably staged cylinder for of said structure provided with suitable ports and valves therefor, and conducting means whereby fuel is supplied alternately to the flrst of .said staged cylinders, and conducting means whereby the 20 second of said staged cylinders are alternately charged with said fuel for flring compression, a fluid pressure reservoir, starter means for the compressing engine including a housing having fluid pressure motor actuated by the pressure of 26 the said reservoir and a distributing valve actuatable by the said motor and means in said housing actuated by an excess of predetermined pressure in said tankfor releasing such excess pressure.

5. In an engine of the kind described. a piston of said-staged drumm rs alternately 

